The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1887-09-17
NINE SCORE YEARS.
VERY AGED INDIANS LIVING IN AN
ARIZONA VALLEY.
An Astounding Story That Leads One to
Think Adam and Eve May Be Alive
misunderstanding the An
Client Aborigines.
[san Francisco Chronicle

lSan Francisco Chronicle.
DIR. Levi E. George was interviewed the
other day concerning the MOqui Indians of
Arizona, whom he recently visited. Said
he: 81 will describe the particular tribe of
the Moquis in which [ discovered the most
remarkable cases of l0ng life They are
called the Wakoyas and comprise about $50
people, males and females. OF these there
are only about 20 children, about 60 middle
aged persons, and The rest include at least Is
centenarians They do not intermingIe with
the rowing bands of savages, preferring a
fixed habitation in their little village in the
valley OF the Chausaka river, one of the
hundreds of small streams tributary to the
Colorado. They dwell in stone houses or
huts, engage in agricultural pursuits to a
limited extent and enjoy many of the arts of
civilization. They are, nevertheless, very
secluded in their little punch-bowl of a
valley.
"Our visit to the place was made about six
weeks ago. The chief proved to be of an
obliging disposition and showed us all about
the village. We were followed by crowd
OF young Wakoyas, and were preceded by
the chief, while around us barked and
howled a number of dogs, with which the
village abounded After proceeding a short
distance we paused before the door of low
stone hut, covered with a skin roof the
cracks in the walls being filed with brown
adobe. Our leader entered without going
through the ceremony of knocking 'Muskee!
Muskeer we heard him shout repeatedly
from within. But Muskee was evil
IDENTIFY not at home, and the chief
came back with a disappointed look on
his dark face. We met the object Of our
search about twenty yards from his door,
and were presented to him in Indian fashion.
He appeared to marvel at our unexpected
appearance, but his establishment was moth
Ing compared to ours as we gazed at his
strange and unnatural form. His shoulders
and limbs were clothed with deerskin robes
and bis face, which seemed to be barren Of
flesh, was covered with dry, wrinkled skin;
his fingers were extremely long and his
palms and wrists were withered and
shrunken, while his whole body, which was
much attenuated, was bent over until his
back assumed the shape of half-circle. 1
had never seen such specimen of aged
humanity before"
ibid you discover his ages" inquired the
interviewer.
"Our Moqui guide, who spoke English
almost perfectly and whose veracity we had
tested on previous occasions, told u.s. after
making the necessary inquiry, that the
man was IT'S years old, and l have not the
slightest doubt, nor would any one have
after seeing the ancient Wakoya, that such
was indeed his age. After looking at us for
some few moments, during which he rested
clutched with one of his dried-up hands, he
mumbled q few words in answer to question
put by the chief and our interpreter, and
then, rising his head and stretching out his
limbs he shambled off toward his hut at
tolerably smart pace for man IT'S years
old.
"But the greatest surprise was yet to come
We were ushered into a RECONSTRUCTED
stone building of greater dimensions than
those before visited In the village It was
almost dark inside, and the room was ill
smelling and close When our eyes became
accustomed to the dim light we saw skin
clad figure kneeling in one corner of the
room and engaged in breaking light sticks
OF wood into small faggots. We were told
that 1t was woman whom the chief had
brought us to see, and that she had not
noticed our approach being blind and deaf
The chief placed his hand on her shoulder,
and she slowly turned around. I could not
see quite plainly, and was at once struck
with feeling of responsiveness almost akin
to the horror one feels toward visions seen
In nightmare when her hideous face and
blank, sunken eyes met my gaze. Her face
was of a greenish-yellow color, and what lit
tie there was left of flesh or skin chung to
her bones as though stuck there by some as
hesive compound. 1t bore a parched, desic-
Gated appearance, like the outer flesh of a
mummy. The lower jaw, which was devoid
OF teeth, obtruded considerably beyond the
angle Of her sharp, hooked nose. Her arms
appeared to be almost bare of any f1eshy It's
sue, and the skin covering them dry and
hard. She is 1872 years OLD. This places her
two years beyond the reputed age of the
patri Irch Isaac at the time of his death, and
she must have first seen the light in 1902, or
seventy four years before the signing of the
declaration of independence"
"Did you learn her name"
"The people of the village call her Wat
suma. She has only one living relative, a
Rreat-grandson, who is So years of age.
"How has the record of her years been
kept9"
ain the immemorial fashion of this tribe
by punching small round holes in piece of
polished horn at the end of each
twelve month 1 depressed desire to see
the record of Watsuma's age. At first she was
very backward about producing it, but
finally directed her young attendant in a
slow, hoarse speech to go and bring it to her,
which was done, and then, without allow
ing us to take it from her bony fingers she
held it up for Inspection The 182 holes were
counted by our wondering party, and the
ancient relic was replaced in its position in
an inner recess in the wall of the howell"